Land

This Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) in Cambodia brings together GEF focal points, focal points from the main Conventions (Biodiversity, Desertification, Climate Change and POPs), representatives from civil society and representatives from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies. Building on the success of the first two years of ECWs in 2011 and 2012, the third session will further strengthen participants knowledge of GEF-5 strategies, programs, policies and procedures. Countries involved in this workshop include: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia's Second Global Environmental Facility (GEF) National Dialogue brings together government agencies, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector and GEF Agencies to take stock of Cambodia's GEF Portfolio and share lessons from the Fourth and Fifth GEF Replenishments (GEF-4 and GEF-5). Participants will also learn about GEF strategies, policies and procedures and identify GEF-6 priorities and processes through a multi-stakeholder process.

Expanded Constituency Workshops (ECW) bring together GEF focal points, focal points from the main conventions (biodiversity, desertification, climate change and persistent organic pollutants), representatives from civil society and representatives from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies, to discuss priority issues, lessons learned and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks. Countries eligible to participate in this ECW include Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

Expanded Constituency Workshops (ECW) bring together GEF focal points, focal points from the main conventions (biodiversity, desertification, climate change and persistent organic pollutants), representatives from civil society and representatives from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies, to discuss priority issues, lessons learned and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks. Countries eligible to participate in this Expanded Constituency Workshop for include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela.

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was launched in September 2011 to raise awareness among decision makers on the vital role of soil resources for achieving food security, adapting to and mitigating climate change and guaranteeing the provision of other environmental services. The Terms of Reference of the GSP were approved in December 2012. The Partnership aims to improve governance of the planet's limited soil resources in order to guarantee healthy and productive soils for a food secure world, as well as support other essential ecosystem services. The five pillars of action of the GSP include the promotion of sustainable management of soil resources; the encouragement of investment, technical cooperation, policy, education awareness and extension in soils; the promotion of targeted soil research and development focused on identified gaps and priorities; the enhancement of the quantity and quality of soil data and information; and lastly, the harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators for sustainable soil management, with national validation accounting for the differences of production systems and ecosystems. At the core of the GSP is the establishment of Regional Soil Partnerships to contextualize the needs and priorities of soil actions to be implemented in each region. This workshop will launch the West and Central African consultation among national soil institutions and regional partners.

The sixth International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress will serve as a vital link to achieving IUCN's overall vision of a “just world that values and conserves nature” and deliver the IUCN Programme 2013-2106.

9 January 2012: The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank has published a report, titled "Commercial Woodfuel Production: Experience from Three Locally Controlled Wood Production Models," as part of its Knowledge Series.

21 December 2012: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has released the first Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Turkmenistan, which highlights several environmental issues as particular challenges, including: salinization of irrigated lands; water management; desertification; and biodiversity loss.